Friends and Further
by thatreevesgirl
Summary: A set of minichapters which detail how Naruto and Gaara become more than friends. New short posted. [NaruGaa] [GaaNaru]
1. Chapter 1

**Friends and Further**  
**by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops**  
**Drabble 1: Today Sucks**

**_Author's Note_**: Gaara and Naruto are probably 19 or 20 in this, good friends, and I have Sasuke back with the group too (I'm on a non-hating Sasuke-kick this week XD)

* * *

"Oi, Gaara, you know how some days just suck?" Naruto chimed in, right before he took a bite of an interesting looking fruit he had found on the Kazekage's lunch tray. The meal had sat untouched on the Suna leader's desk from the moment Gaara's assistant had brought it in. Naruto figured at this point, nearly thirty minutes later, it was fair game. 

"Some days just…suck?" Gaara asked, looking up from one of his scrolls. Usually whenever Gaara wasn't sure what Naruto meant, he just echoed his friend, giving Naruto the permission to explain or rant, or whatever other reason Naruto had for bringing something up. Sometimes Gaara mused at how utterly odd Naruto was, and the way he spoke, it was crass at best.

"Today sucks," Naruto answered as he accidentally sent a little bit of fruit spittle hurtling at an important scroll which outlined a diplomatic treaty. As the wetted chunk of fruit made a spot on a rather important line detailing the arrangements, Gaara grumbled and shooed Naruto away from the desk. "If you are going to eat _my_ meal, eat it over there," he told his friend forcefully, pointing at a chair several meters from his workspace. It would be much more difficult for Naruto to ruin things from that spot, so that gave the young leader a bit more relief.

"Why does today suck?" Gaara asked, but wasn't really listening too intently, his mind was preoccupied with his duties as Kazekage, and as Naruto started going on and on about his latest problems in life (the blond man seemed to be plagued by a plethora of them). Gaara tuned him out and the words sounded more like the incessant hum of a fly buzzing about his head. Unfortunately for Gaara, Naruto didn't like being ignored.

"And now you aren't listening to me, great, this day just gets worse and worse. I come all the way to Suna, have a horrible day, and my best friend just sits there and reads stupid, boring scrolls instead of having fun with me…" Naruto went on for a good five minutes about that before he was reprimanded by one of those stupid, boring scrolls thwacking him right between the eyes.

"Ne, Gaara? Was that really necessary?" he whined and pouted, making Gaara want to thwack him again, but instead he stood and went over to Naruto, hovering over him and glaring menacingly, hoping Naruto would get the point. Gaara had work to do, Naruto was being annoying, Gaara wasn't going to get finished with said work unless Naruto was quiet and…

Gaara's scowl dissipated as he watched Naruto bury his head in his hands and sniffed slightly, obviously trying to hide the tears which had crept into the corners of his eyes. "Gaara I _really_ had a sucky day, would it kill you to actually listen? No one else understands…"

Gaara dropped to his knees so that his eyes were on the same level as Naruto's normally vibrant blue eyes, the ones which were usually filled with so much life, but today were cloudy and wet. Very wet as fat tears started haphazardly falling and skimming down Naruto's cheeks, the leaf shinobi trying to brush them away and hide them from the Kazekage. Finally Gaara found the words to ask Naruto what was wrong, something which was rather difficult, because when he saw his friend's tears it made his heart hurt too. "What happened today?"

"I took an ANBU mission this morning, it was easy enough…" Naruto paused, gulped, then continued, "But it was an assassination mission. We had to take out three rouge-nin. Sasuke-teme took out two of them, Sakura was supposed to get the third…"

Gaara knew where this was going. Even though Naruto was probably the most powerful ninja in Konoha, he was forbidden from killing, even on ANBU missions, unless there were absolutely no other options. Naruto must have killed, must have taken life. All of Naruto's teachers, mentors, and even the Hokage herself knew what that did to Naruto, how it incited the Kyuubi inside of his friend, because it was the same way Shukaku used to act and affect Gaara.

"She didn't get the third, did she?" Gaara asked quietly, laying his hand on Naruto's knee. The blond man shook his head vigorously, tangling his fingers in his hair and trembling hard. "Is the Kyuubi affecting you?"

"Fuck, Gaara, he won't shut up! That's why I came to see you…I needed…I needed someone…"

"Who understands?"

Naruto looked up, his eyes stricken with pain, his face contorted into something which spoke of just how much the demon-fox was hurting him. The Kazekage wished more than anything that he could remove that pain, because he didn't want the evil to take away or change the wonderful person Naruto was. His friend was the one who always had hope, dreamed bigger dreams than Gaara could even imagine, Naruto was the one who was a beacon of light for so many people trapped inside darkness. Gaara didn't want Naruto to be trapped there too.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen," Gaara murmured as his arms slowly, and rather awkwardly, wrapped around Naruto, pulling him into a hug. Naruto sobbed a bit more, laying his head on Gaara's shoulder as the Suna leader tugged him out of the chair and embraced him. Gaara just held on to his friend tighter, trying desperately to replenish that hope and give fire to the light so it wouldn't fade away or flicker into a hopeless nothingness.

Gaara didn't have words or inspirational speeches like Naruto had given him, and Gaara wanted to offer more, he would give Naruto anything he needed to feel better, to silence the evil within him. "What can I do to make this better?" Gaara asked quietly, still holding the upset man.

Naruto was silent for a few seconds, other than the soft sniffling or a quick intake of air which seemed to be hard for the blond to breathe, but then answered, "This is enough, Gaara. Today doesn't seem to suck quite as much anymore."

"I'm glad to hear that," Gaara whispered, and hugged Naruto tighter.

* * *

**A/N's:** There won't be a concrete plot in this set of drabbles, but it will follow a timeline and just detail a few events on how Naruto and Gaara become more than friends. I wanted to do a set of stories which I didn't have to create an elaborate plot, but where I could still detail the emotions and important moments between them. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Friends and Further**  
**by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops**  
**Drabble 2: The Rain**

Just because it was the desert didn't mean rain never came, only that it was a rare and celebrated event. It was precious to the village hidden in the sand, and something which usually went hand in hand with impromptu festivities. As Naruto wandered the streets of Suna, taking careful note of the hundreds of residents dancing and celebrating outside, their clothes drenched by the rather heavy desert downpour, he realized that in Leaf everyone just took the rain for granted, even cursed it every now and then instead of appreciating the gift.

The blond shinobi, golden strands wetted and matted to his forehead, took to the rooftops of the ally nation, hoping to make it to his destination faster. Naruto swore when he reached the Kazekage's office (which several guards had informed him was where Gaara was holed up for the evening, too much work to do anything but play catch-up on his paperwork) he would drag said Kazekage out and make him enjoy the rain, just like his people did. This was probably why Naruto was nearly in shock when Gaara's balcony came into view.

Gaara was already out in the rain, not doing anything extraordinarily un-Gaara-like, but the Suna leader did have his head raised to the heavens, hands extended high in the air with palms upturned, grinning madly at the grieving, desert sky. Naruto chuckled a bit as he saw Gaara even stick out his tongue to catch the rogue drops of rain in his mouth. This was at the very least good blackmail ammunition, stuff he could use to tease Gaara about in the years to come, whenever one of them visited the other.

One final leap and quicker than the flash of lightning which crashed hard in the distance, thunder rolling across the sloping hills of wet sand, Naruto was perched beside Gaara on the balcony, tediously positioned on one of the railings as he smiled at his friend. "You look like you are enjoying yourself," Naruto told him.

Gaara wasn't spooked at all by the foreign ninja, he'd sensed Naruto for some time, so the Kazekage just kept his arms outstretched, his mouth open, the grin wide, and let his body drink up the precious water his people had been blessed with. After a few seconds Gaara cocked his head and nodded to Naruto, "I am," was the only thing he said in response.

It was rather humorous to see the leader of an ally nation preoccupy himself with something as innocent as playing in the rain, but Gaara was doing just that. Naruto hopped off the ledge of the balcony rail and in an instant was mimicking every movement of his friend, hands high in the air, tongue hanging out of his mouth as a raincatcher, letting the drops wash away every problem which plagued him. After a few moments, Naruto, being the playful person he was, started spinning in circles, becoming so dizzy (which was an awful lot of whirling about for a ninja to get dizzy) that he crashed into Gaara and they crumpled to the ground, laughing all the way down.

Naruto watched as Gaara chuckled and sprawled on the balcony floor, shielding his eyes with one hand as the rain picked up force and started pelting them quite hard. "It's nice to see you laugh," Naruto told Gaara, as he too laid down to enjoy the replenishing water which belted them in sheets.

"It'll all be gone tomorrow, soaked up by the ground, or evaporated into the air, it never stays," Gaara replied in a more somber tone. "The rain gives us permission, at least for whatever small amount of time it stays, to live fully and appreciate what we've been given. It reminds us what is precious."

The torrents of water which had been falling started to trickle, and Naruto wished for a moment that it would stay. The leaf-nin could already tell that the storm was lifting, the rain was dissipating, and knowing how free the people of sand were with it, he desperately wanted it to linger. "So it reminds you of what is precious?" Naruto asked quietly, holding out his hands and trying to catch what was left of the mere drizzle now falling on the desert.

Gaara responded by nodding, sitting up and already returning the more stoic and quiet version of himself. Naruto watched as Gaara ran his fingers through his wet locks, the deep, red tresses dripping as Gaara tried to ring the water out of the strands. "I think you'll need a towel for that," Naruto told him, chuckling as Gaara's hair was quickly re-matted to his forehead by the light trickle of rain. "A big towel, cause man-oh-man are you…"

"It reminds me of you."

Naruto was a little shocked by that. First, Gaara had rudely interrupted him (something Gaara never did), and second, what his friend was implying made Naruto want to smile, or hug him, or something, the shinobi really wasn't sure. Naruto had never been good at math, but he got this concept. If the rain reminds you of what is precious, and the rain reminds Gaara of Naruto, then Naruto was precious to Gaara. It was nice being told that, and Naruto whispered back as he watched the last of the rain trickle down from the clouds above, "You're precious to me too, Gaara."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Friends and Further**_

_**by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (both me)**_

_**Drabble 3: Holding On**_

Both of the young men were lounging beneath a large oak tree, relaxing and talking. It was horribly hot out for a late summer day in Konoha, the heat was definitely getting to Naruto, though Gaara only found it mildly irritating since he was used to weather like this. The only thing Gaara found the least bit detestable was how muggy and thick the air was. At least in the desert when it was hot it was just hot, it wasn't hard to breath, nor did the air feel like it was weighing you down. That was probably the reason why Gaara didn't object when Naruto suggested that they wander out to the training fields and take a nap.

"So a whole week, eh?" Naruto asked with a gleam in his eye. The blond shinobi had shed every bit of clothing he possibly could and still stay decent. This meant he took off his jacket and t-shirt, leaving Naruto in long orange shorts and a sleeveless mesh shirt, but for some reason that left him feeling rather naked in the presence of Gaara.

Gaara nodded toward the other man, trying not to smile at the ridiculousness of Naruto. Gaara's friend was sprawled out on his stomach, knees bent so his feet were in the air, clicking together every few seconds as Naruto released some of his excited energy.

"I have a whole week's vacation," the Suna leader confirmed and then added, "I think Temari sensed I was tired, that or she was mad at all the mistakes I've been making on important documents in the past month or so."

Naruto chuckled, it was nice to know that even Sabaku no Gaara wasn't infallible, even nicer to know that he'd decided to spend his vacation with Naruto. When Naruto received word of Gaara's little reprieve from being Kazekage for the week, he asked for the same timeframe off. Tsunade had refused the request, but given Naruto something better, a mission to act as diplomat and personal aide to the Kazekage while he was in Konoha. Therefore, Naruto was getting paid for hanging out with Gaara. It was the best mission he'd ever been assigned, and a helluva lot of fun to boot. This was also good, because it took Naruto's mind off of current happenings, things which seemed to get him a little down whenever he thought about them.

Gaara noted how Naruto slumped into the grass, burying his head in his arms as his feet stopped bumping together. Naruto was quiet and rather somber, and that wasn't like Naruto at all. "Something wrong?"

Naruto let out a long, exasperated sigh before looking up at Gaara, "Did I tell you that Sasuke-teme's having his first kid? He found out last week and told me Tuesday."

Ah, this was the reason why Naruto was in a bit of a distressed mood, because not only was Sasuke getting what Naruto had always wanted—a family—but he was also having it with Naruto's long time crush Haruno Sakura. Gaara hadn't seen his friend this down since the day Naruto had to be best man at Sasuke's wedding, it had nearly broke Naruto's heart.

"Ya know, I was the one that saved that idiot," Naruto huffed into the grass, "Sakura should have fallen for me."

"Sometimes things aren't meant to be. Things happen for a reason," Gaara reminded his friend.

"Gaara, how old are we?" Naruto asked as he started picking at the grass beneath him, plucking blades and throwing them away just to pull out another one, then repeating the process as he waited for Gaara to reply.

Gaara choose to joke with his friend instead of just giving the answer, "Forgetting how old you are, maybe your teammates were right, maybe you are a little more than dimwitted."

"Hey!" was the irritated response, "Just answer the damn question."

Okay, so joking wasn't working, and obviously not the right tactic to try. "Twenty-three, though I do believe that you are still twenty-two, am I right?"

Naruto huffed again, "Only for another month and a half. But yeah, I'm freaking twenty-two, and completely pathetic."

Gaara grimaced, he hated when Naruto was negative about himself, couldn't his friend see just how much there was to be grateful for? Naruto was strong, capable, smart (even though most people didn't give the leaf-nin enough credit where this was concerned), and by most standards a rather attractive person. "You'll find someone, don't worry about it so much."

"Oh, I've heard that before," Naruto snarled, then added in a high, mocking voice, most likely an imitation of his teammate Sakura, "Don't worry, Naruto-kun, the perfect girl will come along any day. Don't worry, Naruto-kun, you're a real catch. Don't worry, Naruto-kun, being a virgin who's only accidentally kissed Sasuke when he was twelve doesn't make you _that_ big of a loser."

Gaara couldn't hold back the chuckle escaping his chest, because he had to admit, the last one was rather funny. "You're serious?" he asked through muffled snorts, "You're a virgin who's never kissed anyone?"

"Oh SHUT UP!" Naruto roared, then turned to his side to pout (and as to not let Gaara see how irritated and upset he was). "I was saving my first _real_ kiss for Sakura, look where that got me."

The truth was that Naruto never really wanted to kiss anyone but Sakura, and when she'd married their asshole friend it kind of broke him inside. It hurt Naruto so bad that he didn't want to kiss anyone, didn't want to start a relationship with a single other person in all the ninja nations. Naruto threw himself into his work instead of worrying about things like kisses and love; it worked a lot better to ignore it, rather than to try to attempt to move through the pain.

"Don't be afraid of life, don't be afraid to live it," Gaara whispered. Naruto could hear the sand in the Kazekage's gourd shift and then resettle, which was followed by the redheaded man standing and making his way to a small pond of water.

"I'm not afraid of life," Naruto hissed under his breath. "I just…" Naruto didn't know what he was trying to say, or what he was feeling. It could best be described as selective ignorance. If he didn't have to think about it, and he didn't know about it, then the problem didn't exist. It was a twisted logic, but it worked for Naruto. Not that there were really that many options left out there for him. Ninja either chose to stay single, or they married early. You never knew when your time was up as a shinobi, your last breath could be fifty years away, or it could be tomorrow. The list of candidates who Naruto would even consider had been picked through significantly. Hinata, TenTen, Temari, Ino Sakura…they were all hitched, swept up into the graces of love and marriage, a foolishly romantic idealism in Naruto's mind, but still one he desperately longed for.

Gaara returned, his red hair slicked back with water and his pale chest dripping. He was also carrying his shirt in his hand, it too soaked. Naruto assumed Gaara had doused it to stay cool, but with a wet thwack it landed right on Naruto's head, nearly suffocating him in the wetted bundle of fabric. It was something Sasuke would do, and Naruto had to bite back the urge to respond the way he normally did, which was with a '_What the hell, teme?' _This time he only glared, sending angry daggers at Gaara with his eyes.

"If you aren't afraid, then do something about it. You always go on and on about your way of the ninja, and this doesn't sound much like it at all."

Naruto sighed, Gaara had a point, a good point too. It wasn't like Naruto could hide forever, he didn't like feeling lonely, he wanted more from existence than merely being a ninja, perhaps even more than accomplishing the rank of Hokage. It was greedy, but he wanted to be respected, wanted to be Hokage, but also wanted to be loved. Naruto pondered how he might even give up one of his other two desires if he could only have the third. Naruto wanted to know what it was like to find passion, to have someone who you loved so much that you put their life before your own.

Naruto gulped back the lump in his throat, and forced away the tears dancing in the corners of his eyes. He hated thinking about all this, because when it came down to it, there was no one for him, he was going to be alone forever. Nearly choking on the words as he forced them out, Naruto quietly asked, "Gaara, are you ever lonely?"

Gaara nodded and responded in the same pained way, "Sometimes."

The two men laid under the giant oak tree, not saying another word the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't that they couldn't, or that they didn't want to, but sometimes a friend just understands and it doesn't have to be explained. That was exactly what happened between Gaara and Naruto, a complete understanding of one another. Of pain, of anguish, of wants and desires, of everything the two had gone through and had yet to experience.

Just before Gaara and Naruto fell asleep while watching the clouds pass by, Naruto's hand reached over and squeezed Gaara's, silently saying thank you to the person who understood him the most. Gaara didn't shy away from that hand, instead as he drifted into a peaceful slumber he took great comfort in the fingers intertwined with his own.

* * *

A/N's: thatreevesgirl bring you da fluff again. I'm on a super fluff-kick. I hope you don't gag from all the WAFFy fics that I'm writing for you, but I love these two being in love. I really, truly do. 


	4. Chapter 4

_**Friends and Further**_

_**by Lemon Drops/thatreevesgirl (both me)**_

**_Drabble 4: Ice Cream_**

Sitting in an arcade, one intended for people much younger than the two shinobi currently playing a pinball machine, were two very overly-zealous, competitive men trying to beat the high score. In reality, Gaara and Naruto were far from stellar at the game, Gaara being the worse of the two since he had never played such a thing in his life. Naruto would laugh when Gaara watched in wonderment as the tiny ball would go shooting into a hole or be sent hurtling from one end of the pinball plane to the other. It was almost as entertaining to watch Gaara as it was to actually play it himself.

There were a few other games they tried, having a lot of fun before they finally decided that they were gamed out for the day. Naruto had made the suggestion, and Gaara had never been to an arcade, so on his last day of his vacation from his Kazekage duties Gaara decided he wanted to try all the things Naruto said he'd enjoyed as a child (since Gaara never had the chance). Naruto knew all the things someone could do in solitude, like the arcade, swimming in the giant toad pond in the forest just outside Konoha, and even scaring the daylights out of the women in the local onsen (which they elected not to do, seeing as it wasn't quite appropriate for men in their twenties). Like Gaara, Naruto never had a lot of friends to play ball with, so most of the time had to make his own fun.

Walking back to Naruto's apartment, the blond man leaned over and nudged Gaara's arm with his elbow, "Hey, wanna get ice cream?"

"Sure," Gaara replied coolly, though in all actuality he was rather excited, because he was rather fond of the frozen treat. The shops sprinkled around Suna were always out of stock on hot days.

Gaara was still lost in thought about how much he liked ice cream when Naruto turned to him and started speaking excitedly, "Gaara! Hey, what if there was a ramen flavored ice cream? Wouldn't that be great?"

Gaara only squinched one eye and murmured, "No, it would be disgusting."

"Hmph, like you have a better flavor," Naruto pouted, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Cinnamon."

Naruto looked over at his friend, and lifted an eyebrow at the Kazekage, "You like cinnamon ice-cream? Ewwww."

Gaara pondered if their recent attempts relive their childhood had gone to Naruto's head, because he was acting rather childish. "Your ramen idea isn't any better," he retorted as they entered the store Naruto had led them to.

The woman working the counter looked as though she'd personally eaten half of the ice cream reserves in Konoha, and as she glared at the two young men, waiting for a few seconds before she brashly asked, "Flavors?"

Naruto looked at the list sitting on the counter (probably pondering which of them would taste most like Ramen) as Gaara told the woman he wanted cinnamon. Naruto chimed in a few seconds later with green tea, which elicited a disgusted look from Gaara. "Don't knock it till you've tried it, sandy-pants," Naruto told his friend as he grabbed the cone from the evil, plump woman, and licked a bit which was already dripping down the side onto his hand.

"This is good," Gaara said as they walked out, licking the cinnamon treat and then sticking it out for Naruto. "Try it," he told the blond, who was shocked by this.

"Gaara, I'm not eating off of something you ate off of," he said, returning to his own cone.

"Let me try yours," the Kazekage insisted, trying to tug Naruto's cone to his mouth so he could see if Green Tea ice cream was as disgusting as it sounded.

Naruto swatted Gaara's hand away before growling lowly, "You have your own to eat, this is mine."

Gaara didn't understand at all why it was strange for friends not to share food. He and Naruto shared so much else, why not ice cream? Naruto surely didn't think he was diseased, did he? Gaara gave Naruto a questioning look before asking, "Why can't I try it."

"Guys don't share ice cream," Naruto glared back, "Maybe if I had a girlfriend I'd share with her, but _not_ with _you_."

The puzzle pieces seemed to come together in Gaara's mind, finally realizing why Naruto didn't want to give Gaara a taste. Sometimes the world was unfair, because all Gaara wanted to do was give the damned treat a try. He huffed and continued to eat his own. After walking a minute or so in silence Gaara was greeted by an ice cream cone being shoved in his face, a rather peeved Naruto offering it to him. Taking a lick and deciding that green tea wasn't quite as awful as it sounded (close, but not quite), Gaara then offered his to Naruto who licked the cone fast and shoved it away, looking around to make sure no one had seen their odd little ice cream exchange. Gaara smirked as they kept walking.

The next time Gaara visited Konoha they went to the same ice cream shop, but this time both Naruto and Gaara got cinnamon ice cream.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Friends and Further 5  
by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops  
Starlight Kisses**_

**A/N's** _This __drabble is so fluffy that it will make you cough up hairballs just like your cat named Mr. Poofypants does (and Mr. Poofypants coughs up a lot of hairballs)._

* * *

Taking a finger and drawing in the sand beneath himself, Naruto became rather frustrated as his picture kept collapsing in on itself, the granules of sand falling into the crevasse of the lineart. Naruto grumbled and muttered to himself before Gaara reminded his friend that it was nearing two in the morning, it wasn't like either one of them could see what Naruto was drawing that well in the midst of twilight anyway. 

"I know, but it was good. Sai would have been proud," Naruto huffed and threw himself back on the cool sand, sprawling beneath the desert sky.

Gaara knew how much Naruto missed his teammate, it was something they didn't speak about often, but from time to time Naruto would mention Sai's name. Sai wasn't dead, but he had been placed on an undercover mission for a good portion of the last two years. It pained Gaara to know where that placement was, seeing as it was in an area near Suna with some of his own top shinobi, and having to keep that information from Naruto was difficult. The squad was doing well, and had recovered a lot of data for himself and the Hokage about the remaining rogue members of the Akatsuki. Since Gaara couldn't tell Naruto any of that he only replied, "Yes, I think Sai probably would be pleased that you are bettering your doodling abilities."

"Doodles? Hey, I was an artist too! I painted all kinds of stuff as a kid." Naruto neglected to say it was usually as a prank, and usually involved important Konohan landmarks, but Gaara didn't need to know that.

Gaara sat down beside Naruto, tugging the gourd off of his shoulder as he too found a soft bed of sand to lay down on. This had become a ritual of sorts. Naruto would visit Suna, or Gaara would visit Konoha, and they would spend a good portion of their time together just walking and talking, discussing everything which crossed their minds. Gaara appreciated and enjoyed their conversations, and he never lacked words when it came to speaking with Naruto. There was so much he wanted to say when Naruto was around, so every thought which popped into his head was promptly shared with the Leaf shinobi. They spoke about life, love, their jobs, duty, things which frustrated them, their dreams, and whatever else seemed important enough to mention. At this point, after nearly seven years of doing this, Gaara knew Naruto inside and out. There wasn't a secret they kept from one another, not anymore.

Gaara knew about how Naruto resented Sasuke for marrying Sakura (though he tried hard not to let that affect how he acted toward his teammate and friend). Naruto knew how Gaara had a great distaste for his brother-in-law, frustrated that Temari had forced him and the council to promote the foreign ninja to equal rank of his siblings. Having Shikamaru as an advisor was more "troublesome" to Gaara than whatever the lazy leaf-nin was always complaining about.

Gaara also knew how Naruto had applied to be a foster parent to some of the orphaned children in Konoha, and how it broke Naruto's heart when he'd been rejected, the council citing him being possibly dangerous and unstable. Gaara also knew that Naruto's stability with the Kyuubi was a just reason for rejection, the demon fox fighting hard in the last few years for his freedom from his human cage. Naruto knew about the extra staffing Gaara required as the Kazekage and how the council nearly made him step down after an incident where he couldn't protect the village. That was due to waning chakra, seeing as Gaara's chakra was no where near the levels it used to be when Shukaku was inside of him.

Their deepest, most well-hidden secrets were freely shared, and it was often the case that as soon as one of the young men had something to tell the other, they would take a trip to the other's village, spending a night, just like tonight, under the stars talking about whatever was bothering them. Naruto had visited Gaara out of the blue, so the Kazekage was sure there was something on his friend's mind, but he wouldn't push it, Naruto would tell him when he was ready.

They both laid and stared at the stars for a long time before Naruto cleared his throat and quietly began, "I'm a good person, right?" Gaara nodded his head, there was no doubt in his mind that Naruto was a good person, but Naruto added, "I got rejected again."

Gaara had been the one who sat Naruto down and explained to him why the council had good reasons for not allowing him to be a single foster-parent, and he was ready to begin the speech again when Naruto interjected, "I can't even teach. They won't let me have a squad of my own. Baa-chan supported me, but the council refused to let me take a team of genin."

Gaara could hear the hurt and pain in Naruto's voice, and though he understood some of the other rejections Naruto had received (Gaara knew that having a single parent who was as highly skilled as Naruto meant too many long missions and not enough time at home, it wasn't even about the Kyuubi in his mind), but this one was downright discriminatory. Naruto would have made a fine teacher, probably better than most in either of their villages. "Did they tell you why?"

"The blew me off, told me they wouldn't accept my resignation from the ANBU…but Gaara, I can't kill, can't do more than assist on assassination missions. Why do they really need me on a squad anyway? I think they're just keeping tabs on me, that's what they're doing." Naruto huffed and dug his hands into the sand, clearly irritated by the unfair rejection. "And like I said, I have Baa-chan's support, and Jiraiya's, and even Kakashi-sensei spoke on my behalf."

"They all respect you. Once a person knows you it's hard not to," Gaara replied, trying hard not to doze off in the soft sand beneath him. Naruto was saying something important, so he needed to listen, no matter how tired he was.

Naruto flipped over and looked Gaara straight in the eye. "If I transferred to Suna, would you let me teach?"

"In an instant," Gaara murmured sleepily, "But your village would never let you go, it is left unspoken in Konoha, but you are a weapon just as I was a weapon."

This disturbed Naruto, because more than anything he wanted to be seen as more than just a demon-container. His power, Kakashi had always told him, didn't come from the fox, it came from within Naruto. Naruto believed that with all his heart, which was why Gaara's words hurt so much…Naruto wasn't a weapon.

Gaara added quietly, "All shinobi are weapons, regardless of what they house within themselves. It is how you choose to act with your power which defines who a person is. If I were asked to describe you, Naruto, I would say you are a shinobi who protects and unifies, that is a very unique weapon, even more so since you do carry the Kyuubi."

Naruto sat up, looking at Gaara in the soft starlight, the Kazekage's dark rimmed eyes falling shut every few seconds, then being forced back open. It never ceased to amaze Naruto how their roles had been reversed in the last couple of years. Naruto worrying, Gaara reassuring him, believing in him, being the best friend he'd ever known. No one understood him like Gaara did, and no one ever said things as kind as the Suna leader. Gaara's eye drifted shut one more time, this time staying closed as sleep overtook him, exhaustion getting the better of the redhead. Naruto couldn't help but feel grateful to his friend who led a ninja village by day and still found the time to talk with Naruto far into the wee hours of the morning.

Naruto leaned over and squeezed Gaara's arm softly, "You are a good friend," he whispered.

Watching the slight rise and fall of Gaara's chest for a few minutes, Naruto realized something fairly significant. Of all the moments in his life, the happiest ones were almost all spent with the man next to him. Naruto didn't know what he did to deserve such a loyal friend, because Gaara never betrayed him, never rejected him outright. After the moment when Gaara acknowledged Naruto's existence (which wasn't long after they met, even during a time when Gaara rejected everyone), their bond had grown stronger than any other.

Not Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi, Iruka, Jiraiya, or Tsunade could claim to even have a sliver of what Naruto had with Gaara. It was true that Sasuke and Sakura were Naruto's teammates and friends, both Kakashi and Iruka were his mentors and a bit like big brothers, Jiraiya and Tsunade supported him, almost like an adopted son, but none of these people really understood the heartache Naruto had been through. Sasuke was too selfish, Sakura never gave him a chance, Kakashi and Iruka still had that barrier like many teacher and student relationships did, Jiraiya was too much of a loner and hermit, and Tsunade was too busy running Konoha. Gaara was the only one who never held himself back from Naruto.

Naruto wished for a moment that life was different, because if it was, maybe there could have been a certain redheaded _female_ Jinchuuriki who Naruto would have fallen for. Maybe if Naruto had been born as Naruko instead it would have worked, but it hurt knowing that the person that Naruto loved…

Naruto's mind swam as it finished the thought which had sent his brain into a tailspin. Naruto considered it one more time…it hurt knowing that Naruto could never be with the person who he loved the most. Love? Did Naruto truly love his friend? That was a stupid question, of course he did, Naruto loved all his friends, but that wasn't what he was thinking a moment ago. Looking down at the sleeping Kazekage, Naruto understood exactly what kind of love his heart meant. It was a deeper love, a much, much more profound love, the kind he imagined he would feel for Sakura, the kind which made him never want to leave Gaara's side.

Naruto shook his head at the foolishness, he couldn't be in love with another man, that was ridiculous! Naruto was still scolding himself when he saw Gaara shift and yawn, falling back asleep a couple seconds later. Naruto blinked and watched Gaara slumber for a few more minutes, even allowing himself to reach out and run his fingers through the red tresses of the Kazekage's hair, learning that those crimson locks were much softer than they appeared. Naruto's hand trembled…no…he couldn't. The confused young man nearly ran off, until part of Naruto begged him to give this a chance, to confirm if what his heart was feeling was true.

Gaara, Kazekage of the village hidden in the sand, awoke when he sensed chakra closing in one him, only millimeters away. Gaara almost cursed until he realized whose chakra it was, but stayed silent as warm lips settled on his own. The soft, contented look on Naruto's face as he kissed Gaara, eyes closed, face relaxed, calmed the frayed nerves of the sand-nin. Gaara wasn't in danger, or maybe he was, because this was a rather dangerous situation in its own right. Gaara couldn't stop himself from wrapping a hand around Naruto's neck, kissing him harder, and Naruto returned the fervent embrace. Needing air, Naruto pulled away just a little and pressed his forehead to Gaara's, panting lightly.

Gaara almost said something until he felt small, wet drops fall from Naruto's face onto his own. Naruto gulped a little and drew back more, wiping the rogue tears from his cheeks before he stood up and walked to a spot several meters away, whispering a soft, "I'm sorry, Gaara," as he went.

Gaara, still in quite a bit of shock, couldn't deny how that kiss had made him feel. Temari was always going on and on about why love made you do stupid things. She was very adamant about how real love was the most powerful emotion a person can feel, and that Gaara wouldn't understand it until he experienced it for himself. Taking a gander, Gaara speculated that just a moment ago, when Naruto had kissed him, what Gaara felt was indeed the kind of love his sister was referring to. It was the kind which made you do stupid, stupid things, even want to kiss your best friend despite the fact that your friend was male. Naruto wasn't someone Gaara ever considered in that way, but he was considering now as he walked up behind Naruto and placed a hand on the other shinobi's shoulder. "You kissed me," he murmured.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Naruto replied quietly.

Gaara felt his heart ache at those words, "You're sorry you kissed me?"

Naruto didn't look at his friend, but instead did everything to keep his face turned away from Gaara. "Yeah, it was just…I don't know Gaara. Please don't be mad, I won't do it again."

A silence, which seemed to stretch an eternity, passed between the two men, until Gaara's hand gently urged Naruto to turn and face him as he whispered, "What if I want you to do it again?"

Naruto's hands rose to his face, wiping away what Gaara assumed were more tears, then spun slowly to face his friend. Naruto didn't say anything at first, but his fingers reached out and touched Gaara's cheek, cupping it lightly before asking, "Can I really kiss you again? You wouldn't mind?"

Gaara shook his head no, and just like so many years ago, when a small tendril of sand had urged Naruto's hand to shake Gaara's, that moment binding them in friendship and trust, another tendril of sand slinked around Naruto's waist and pulled the leaf-nin toward the Kazekage. The sand dropped away as once again, under the desert sky, forgetting any preconceived notions about who they were and what they thought they preferred, Gaara and Naruto kissed and embraced and forgot the rest of the world for a moment.

* * *

A/N's: The sixth part of the story is also out, but it is of the more naughty persuasion. Seeing as I abide by the rule set forth by this site, I don't post lemons here. My homepage in my person profile page will take you to my Livejournal. The chapter is posted there for your reading pleasure. 


	6. Chapter 6

The soft plink of droplets falling into the water, crashing down quietly and then rippling through the murky depths of the bath slowly, were the only things which broke the deafening silence of the private bath chamber. Gaara stared down and watched as small waves splintered and spread through the surface of the tainted reddish-brown liquid beneath him, mesmerized by how easily his sins were literally washed away.

The last battle he had participated in had been less than six hours ago. Six hours. Six lives. An hour to mourn each life he'd taken, and for the most of that time he'd sat in the tub staring at the blood of the people he'd been covered in—people to be mourned and then soon forgotten.

He hated the fact that after everything he'd gone through, despite all the changes he'd made, death was still something required of him. Gaara was good at killing. However, he was not adept at dealing with the toll it took on him, a reformed psychopath who wished only to protect his village and those he cared about. These shinobi he had fought were doing the same, protecting the ones they loved, working as hired mercenaries to provide food, shelter, things for their children, their wives and husbands, to bring honor to their families. Gaara could tell by the way they fought. These were decent enough people, just on the opposing side of a war which they knew little about, hired to assassinate a ruler of a foreign ninja nation. Gaara, the Kazekage, was probably demonized unfairly by the faction who had employed them, so they believed they were attacking a monster, fighting the unjust, so they fought hard. That is why Gaara mourned the blood on his hands tonight.

Every so often the door to the bathroom would open and _he_ would stand in the entryway, watching carefully for a few minutes, a look of sadness splayed across the normally boisterously happy face. ANBU black ops like Naruto knew exactly what death was like, and Naruto more than most knew how difficult taking life was, so after a few minutes of reassuring himself that Gaara was still okay, the blond man would nod, and quietly walk out again, closing the door silently behind him and leaving the Kazekage with his thoughts.

It had been about thirty minutes since the last time Naruto had performed this little concerned ritual. Gaara heard footsteps outside the door, and just like the four times prior, the door slowly creaked open and Naruto stood there watching him worriedly. This time, not only the faucet dripped into the red, murky waters below, but Gaara's tears also joined them. The crossing ripples from opposite sides of the tub collided with one another, violently crashing together as the perfect synchrony of the tiny waves broke and dissipated in the bloody bathwater.

Gaara sobbed silently, until rough hands were wiping the tears away, the pads of Naruto's thumbs brushing away every drop which fell from Gaara's eyes before it could hit the water. "Just because you're the Kazekage doesn't mean you aren't human," Gaara's lover said firmly. "This water is cold and you are clean. Out. Now."

Before Gaara could object, strong arms wrapped around him and pulled him out of the tub. A towel was thrown hastily around Gaara as he started shivering and quaking. Naruto wasn't sure if it was from the cold, desert night air hitting Gaara's dripping, wet body or if the man in his arms was still emotionally wrecked from the six kills he'd made. At this point it didn't matter.

When the leaf shinobi was satisfied Gaara was decent enough to be carried to his room, Naruto shuffled out of the bathroom, bumping into a pair of concerned siblings who were waiting impatiently in the hallway. Naruto grumbled as his shoulder smacked painfully into Kankurou's, and he verbalized for the puppet-nin to move. Naruto wasn't in the mood to deal with them, even if they only wanted the best for their younger brother. Naruto knew instinctually that Gaara didn't wish to face anyone now, especially not the two people who were proudest of the changes he'd made in the past few years.

Temari's voice, cracking and hushed, asked in a mere whisper, "Naruto, is he alright?"

Naruto didn't answer because he didn't know, and left her question unanswered as the Kazekage suite door clicked closed, Temari and Kankurou giving each other nervous glances and then going about their daily business, there was nothing more they could do for their brother.

Once inside, once alone, Gaara clung needily to the clothed ninja who still held him, his fingers digging into the skin at the base of Naruto's neck as he sobbed for the first time in years, the first time Naruto ever saw Gaara do so. Naruto didn't stop Gaara, despite how painful it was to watch, he didn't try to give the other shinobi soothing words or things which seemed cliché and rather unhelpful to a person who was responsible for so much death by his hands alone. All Naruto did was sit on the bed and hold the person he loved. It was all he could do, all he could give at this point, and for tonight it was enough.


	7. Chapter 7

Gaara of the Desert walked with a subtle grace. The quiet, purposeful steps always calculated, always a nimble elegance added to his movement. Temari had once complimented her brother on how he radiated the essence of being ninja. In the same breath, she berated the clumsy, blond shinobi who was currently raiding their pantry. Naruto had no grace, no elegance in her eyes. 

Gaara almost laughed.

He wasn't tempted to laugh at Naruto's folly as the man managed to drop an extra ration bag of sugar. Nor was he going to laugh at Naruto's impossibly inelegant maneuver as he caught a few more bags of food supplies before they crashed to the pantry floor. Gaara was trying not to laugh at his own sister's ignorance.

Naruto was both graceful and beautiful in Gaara's mind. Temari didn't know of the strong arch of Naruto's back, his sometimes soundless careening, or even the smooth ripple of muscle told just how ingrained the poise of the ninja was in the other man. These seemed to be only things Gaara knew of, and the sand leader liked that.

Naruto's affinity against noiselessness was not because he couldn't be quiet, only that he wished not to be. For the entirety of his life, Naruto wished for nothing more than to be heard. Gaara heard Naruto -- even among the silence. Gaara was also one of the few who were witness to Naruto's rare moments of silence, grace, and beauty.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Friends and Further: Drabble Eight**_  
_**by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops**_  
_****_

A small girl stood in the entranceway of Naruto's apartment. Her face was dirty, her smile crooked, her clothing hopelessly mismatched, and she seemed to bounce with ceaseless energy. Naruto quickly realized why, it was because Gaara had fed her sugar. The girl was chewing on a piece of taffy that she held in one hand while she clutched a tattered, old bear in the other.

"I need help," was the quiet murmur of the Kazekage. The exhaustion seemed to pour out of him as he slumped against the doorframe, shooing the toddler inside. 

Naruto was completely silent as he watched his lover herd the three year old girl over to the couch, giving her an evil eye which warned her to stay still. When she opened her mouth Gaara's glare deepened and wordlessly told her silence was a better choice. 

"This is Kari, she's an orphan of the Sand village," Gaara began, slouching into a spot beside the girl, sighing each word as if they were unbelievably difficult to utter in his state of fatigue. Naruto's smile was so wide that Gaara was very nearly too scared to continue. Naruto knew exactly where this was going. "I adopted her," Gaara finished.

Naruto's eyes quirked curiously, the grin still plastered to his face. When Gaara didn't say anything else he prodded his lover with a curt, "And?"

"And I need help."

That was beyond obvious. Kari was a mess. She was a horrible disaster of a child if left to Gaara and his parenting methods. Naruto directed his smile at Kari this time. It was warm and inviting. Naruto even motioned quietly for her to come join him on the comfy chair by his desk. The blond shinobi's voice cracked slightly and his heart raced as the girl rushed over to him. "Hi, Kari, I'm Naruto. It is very nice to meet you."

She smirked back at him, thrusting the teddy up into Naruto's face. "This is papa Gaara's, but papa Gaara said that Burty could be mine."

Naruto muffled his laughter, this child was too perfect in all her imperfections, especially with Burty by her side. "Burty, eh, Gaara? That's cute. I can't believe you still had this old thing. I never imagined you to be the sentimental type."

Mess with Gaara's teddy, meet the Kazekage's wrath. If you tease Gaara about his teddy...well, let's just say that you should really pity Naruto at this point since Gaara held his grudges for longer than any ninja Naruto knew.

Kari grinned and hugged the bear tightly to her body again seeing as introductions were done. She now offered Naruto some well slobbered on taffy. Naruto politely refused and asked if Kari wanted to go to the park and play a game of tag or something. The little girl nodded excitedly and toddled toward the door, focusing on trying to reach the doorknob which was just out of her reach. 

Gaara slumped further down on Naruto's couch, his eyes narrow and directed right at his lover. "I'm not sure I was cut out for this parenting stuff," he whispered, the words silent enough that Kari didn't overhear.

Naruto nodded knowingly, because Gaara had done this for him. Naruto wasn't allowed to adopt a child on his own, but they'd both been talking about a family for quite awhile. Just as Gaara had imagined, Naruto took to the child immediately, showing the kazekage what a wonderful father the leaf-nin could be. 

"Good thing you have me then, isn't it, Gaara?" Naruto murmured as he placed a light kiss on Gaara's throbbing temple. "I suppose it's about time that I talk to Baa-chan about that transfer to Suna. That will be a tough battle to win, that's for sure."

Gaara nodded emphatically, but his resolve to have Naruto in Suna with him was greater than whatever resistance they received from the Konoha council. "They knew it was coming," Gaara said assuredly, "They will manage with losing you, especially if the Konoha-Suna treaty is in jeopardy if they refuse."

It was shocking to hear that come out of Gaara's mouth. Gaara would risk his most trusted alliance to have Naruto by his side? Naruto let that thought sink in and then he kissed Gaara's forehead one more time, which was quickly interrupted by the shrill whining of a three year old.

"Papa Gaara, Naruto, I though we were going to the park," Kari's voice pierced through the thick seriousness of the adult conversation. Kari wasn't interested in such things, she wanted to play. She especially wanted to play with Naruto, who seemed so much more fun than her beloved papa Gaara who had saved her from the boring orphanage.

"Forgive her, she's been in the orphanage for half of her life. She hasn't had real parents to teach her to behave," Gaara gritted out, the frustration in his voice clear as a bell to Naruto, but slight enough to hide it from his adopted daughter. 

Naruto chuckled warmly, running his hand through Gaara's short, crimson bangs once before replying, "Trust me, I know how that is better than anyone."

Sweeping up Gaara's daughter -- no, his daughter -- into his arms, Naruto quickly opened the door and made haste to the park, leaving Gaara behind to enjoy a brief nap on the couch. No one had ever had faith in Naruto's ability to be a parent, but that first day with Kari was proof enough that Naruto was a wonderful father despite what the council thought of him.

Naruto loved being a father, just like he loved Gaara. 


	9. Chapter 9

_**Friends and Further **_  
_**Drabble Nine: A Woman's Perspective**_  
_**by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops**_

Naruto's adopted daughter might not have been blonde, and Sakura's daughter wasn't blessed with pink locks, but watching the spat between the two children was like taking a trip straight down memory lane. It was so much like watching a flashback between Ino and herself that Sakura had to try hard not to laugh. Kari was two years older than Mikoto, but Mikoto had inherited Sasuke's irritableness and Sakura's temper. Those two things were a lethal combination, something Sakura had discovered rather quickly about her obstinate child. Kari was like a mini-Naruto, and her warpath intersected right with the visiting leaf child who had apparently gotten under Kari's skin for trying to steal her boyfriend. Naruto had warned Sakura that Kari thought the whole world was out to steal her boyfriend, a boy who happened to not even know that Kari existed. Poor girl, Sakura could identify with that.

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted by the low growl emanating from the dressing room and a string of whiny complaints. Naruto was sure having fun in there with three store clerks and about 5 formal kimono. He had made his objections very clear, trying on kimono was the very last thing in the world he wanted to do. She hadn't seen Naruto in at least six months, but that whining of his was driving her up a wall. She remembered when she could handle it much more in stride. Damn Sasuke, he was rubbing off on her again. 

Gaara had already made his selection and was standing chatting idly with Sasuke about politics. The Kazekage was so smooth with his words that even Sakura's husband didn't realize Gaara was only gathering the gossip from an ally ninja village. Sasuke prattled on (yes, he had become a chatty one, Sakura had rubbed off on him as well) about some recent changes which irritated him, but really, was there really ever a time when he wasn't annoyed by something?

"Mom! Make her shut up!" a childish screech rang throughout the shop, forcing Sakura away from her thoughts long enough to shush her daughter and apologize profusely to the shop owner who was glaring at the two prepubescent girls.

Mikoto folded her arms defiantly, her dark eyes a deeper shade of brooding than even Sasuke could manage. Kari's light auburn hair shifted around her face as she drooped her head in shame. Sakura didn't know why until she saw an annoyed looking Naruto staring her down. He'd stomped out of the dressing room to give her a good lecture about being polite, but he played the angry parent so poorly. It was obvious the parent that normally reprimanded Kari was Gaara, but the Kazekage was still too engrossed in his engaging conversation with Sasuke to worry about the ruckus his daughter was causing.

Naruto hovered over his daughter and glared menacingly at her. Sakura smirked. Damn that Naruto, he looked utterly gorgeous in the current kimono he was wearing, even with a grimace on his face. Sakura wondered if she could convince Gaara to make that his official Suna uniform. A slight tinge of embarrassment rose up Sakura's face as she glanced over to her husband, making her feel guilty that she'd was oggling their former teammate when Sasuke was in the room. Ten years with Sasuke ... she should get an award for not killing him during that time, so letting her eyes peruse Naruto (who was in a serious relationship himself) was just a short mental reprieve from life with Mr. Sarcasm. 

Naruto was getting married in less than a week. The Suna council finally okayed Gaara's request to allow him to marry Naruto. Sakura sighed, she found their struggle to be terribly romantic. Sakura's daydreams about romance were cut short when Kari and Mikoto started fighting again. Sasuke and Naruto were now both lecturing the girls, not that it stopped the arguing, it was just a great big gripe-fest now. Gaara's eyes caught Sakura's and the Kazekage shrugged very slightly. The leaf kunoichi pondered how handsome Gaara had become since he began approaching thirty. Sakura shook her head, trying to pry loose the thoughts that were running rampant through her brain.

Kakashi would be proud, because Sakura realized that she was quickly becoming a dirty old woman. Allowing her one last, perverted thought, Sakura pondered how drunk she'd have to get Sasuke, Gaara, and Naruto to have them make out at the bachelor party. Curse Konahamaru and his damn sexy no jutsu, and while the fates were at it, curse Kakashi and his damn pervertedness, it was obviously a contagious disease. 


	10. Chapter 10

_**Friends and Further**_  
_**by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops**_  
_**Chapter 11: Never the Same**_  
_**Warning: This chapter is very sad**_

The day had begun with such innocent words.   
_  
"Hey dad, let's spar."_

It had been a good day, a good match, a good...

"Naruto, stop," Gaara told the distraught blond man forcefully. "Let go, let go now."  
_  
"I have a new jutsu, dad. I think you'll be proud of this one." _

Naruto had watched Kari focus her chakra into her fingers, threads spindling out and weaving wildly into the air. Kankurou had taught her well, and Naruto proudly marveled at her skill. Unfortunately, Kari caught him off guard. Naruto hadn't known that she was already targeting him, and he didn't have the proper focus to maintain himself when the chakra laces snuck up from beneath him in the sand, lacing around his legs and cutting his skin with their sharp knifelike threads. 

Naruto didn't have control of the Kyuubi, and the demon fox lashed out. In a split second red chakra flared over Naruto's body, through the threads, and a tremendous heat engulfed his and Kari's body. Naruto attacked blindly. Naruto attacked Kari.

"Let her go!" Gaara growled out, sand encasing Naruto's hands and trying to pry Kari loose as Naruto clutched his injured daughter to his chest. "She needs treatment now!"

Naruto was murmuring quick, broken sentences, still trying to hold onto Kari as he cried, "I killed her, I killed her," over and over again.

Gaara couldn't tend to Naruto now, because Kari's life truly did hang in the balance. Anger seeped into the Kazekage, and a harsh crack of bone filled the air as he literally ripped Naruto's hands off of their daughter. Naruto wailed and six sand ninja were on him, a flurry of hand seals and restraints put on Naruto to hold back the Kyuubi as Naruto began to transform again. 

This was Naruto's worst fear, his nightmare, and it was coming true. Gaara winced as he picked up the crumpled body of his teenage daughter, disappearing in a whirlwind of sand to take her directly to the Suna hospital. When Gaara reappeared it wasn't in the emergency wing of the building, but rather in the research lab. Tears streaming down his face as he held the dwarfed body in his arms, Gaara thanked the powers that be for the visiting med-nin sitting in a lab coat with a vial in her hands. Her green eyes were wide in shock as Gaara laid Kari at his feet. 

"Sakura, please save my daughter," the Kazekage pleaded. Naruto's teammate dropped to the floor immediately to assess the girl's damage. 

A quiet whimper from the corner of the room was followed by light footsteps as a dark haired girl of about twelve joined Sakura. Mikoto was trained in medical jutsu just like her mother and it didn't hurt that she also had the Sharingan. Mikoto could copy any medical jutsu known, and she desperately wanted to help her mother save her friend. Kari and Mikoto had become the best of friends over the years, so the young Uchiha heiress would do everything in her power to save Kari.

Gaara couldn't do any more, he could only watch as the two women went immediate to work on restoring Kari's most important chakra pathways. Gaara gulped down a large lump in his throat as Suna med-nin's also rushed into the room, bringing supplies that Sakura and Mikoto would need. 

"Where is he?" a calm, deep voice asked the Kazekage. A hand was laid on the Gaara's shoulder and he turned his head to see Uchiha Sasuke's concerned gaze. "He probably still doesn't have the Kyuubi under control. I can help. Where is he?"

Gaara was more than aware that the Uchiha had the ability to control the Kyuubi within Naruto. Sakura's mentoring Suna's med-nin's was an important mission assignment, but Tsunade had temporarily transferred the entirety of the Uchiha family to Suna. Gaara knew it was because the Kyuubi was surfacing so frequently, and that Naruto couldn't control it, but Sasuke could.

Gaara sighed, he didn't want to leave Kari, but he had to. "Come with me," he ordered Sasuke. Sasuke nodded to Sakura and Mikoto and they left as quickly as the Kazekage had appeared.

After that day Sasuke's position in Suna became permanent. That was also the day when Kari's life as a ninja ended. The injuries she sustained from Naruto were too much for Sakura or Mikoto to heal completely, but at least she was still living. 

Naruto blamed himself, and Gaara noticed how after that day Naruto was never quite the same. 


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

_**NOTE: You**** MUST read the previous chapter to understand this one**_

* * *

_Friends and Further  
by thatreevesgirl/Lemon Drops  
Chapter 12: Regret and Disappearance_

* * *

It was difficult to stand in this spot. The ground was still scorched and burnt, and some of the sand had hardened and melted. It had the beautiful sheen of glass as Kari stood atop it. Mikoto walked behind Kari and hugged her slightly. "Don't worry, they'll find him," the young Uchiha girl told her friend.

It was exactly one year ago today that Kari had almost died at the hands of her father. She had heard the whispers of dissent from some of the sand shinobi since she was a little girl. _That man is dangerous_, they would say. _The Kazekage should know better than to trust such a person with his daughter_. Those were the people who had strongly disapproved of the Kazekage until the removal of Shukaku. There was no separating the person from the demon to those residents of Suna. Kari always disagreed with those people. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined her father actually causing her injury.

Kari never held a grudge against Naruto. She loved her father so much that seeing him such an emotional wreck was even more painful than her physical injuries. Kari loved Naruto, he was the one who taught her that every person has the capability for good or evil, and that there is always hope for those who people thought were lost to the ways of the wicked.

Naruto had told her exactly those words shortly after she discovered that her other father, Gaara, had been a renowned murderer and weapon for Suna. Kari had only been five years old at the time, and she had been so frightened by the thought of her papa Gaara being a cold blooded killer that she shunned the Kazekage for weeks. That had hurt Gaara greatly. Naruto took her aside and told her stories of how Gaara changed, how love could change a person with no hope, how the strength of love could be stronger than any jutsu.

Naruto was sitting at her bedside crying when Kari woke up a week after Mikoto and Sakura had healed her, he cried even more when he realized she had regained consciousness. There was such an obvious pain in him, something that Kari had never seen before. Naruto seemed to be sad and broken, not the strong, proud man that she had always imagined him to be. The first words she whispered were rough and scratchy, "Don't cry dad, I forgive you. I love you."

When the anniversary of Kari's injuries approached Naruto disappeared. Both Gaara and Sakura were frantic, but Mikoto's father, Sasuke, calmly packed a mission bag with clothes and rations and slung his sheathed katana around his waist as he told them, "He brought me back a long time ago. I suppose it is time for me to return the favor."

Sasuke had left three days ago, so Kari was beginning to get a little concerned about Naruto's disappearance. Mikoto brushed aside a long strand of Kari's wheat colored hair that had tinges of red in it. The Uchiha girl smiled warmly at her friend. "Don't worry," she said assuredly, "My father is strong. He'll bring back Naruto, you can be sure of that."

Kari hoped so. She desperately wanted to believe in Mikoto's words, but there was a certain unease in her heart. Kari wondered if her father was strong enough to battle the demons inside himself anymore. There was not only the fox, but also her father's personal inner-demons. The ones that seemed to taunt him mercilessly for nearly killing his own daughter.

Kari refused to let her heart give in to such tumultuous thoughts, and chose instead to believe in the ones Naruto had instilled in her. _Love can change a person with no hope. Love is stronger than any jutsu._ If there was one constant in Naruto's life, it was love -- love from his husband and daughter, love of friends and comrades, love to protect the villages and the people within them. Kari had a feeling her father had become blind to the love that surrounded him, and he only needed to be reminded of just how much he was cared for.

Kari smiled sadly at the open expanse of desert stretched out before herself and Mikoto. A tear slid down her cheek as she whispered into the wind, "Come home, dad, we miss you and love you."

Kari hoped that somehow her father would hear those words.

* * *

A/N's: Just to let you know that there is a reason why chapter 10 is listed as 11 here on and chapter 11 is listed as twelve. XD It is because there is a smutty chapter on my livejournal that I can't post here. There are now two smutty chapters which aren't posted here. If you want to go search them out the links are on my profile or you can just go to thatreevesgirl (dot) livejournal (dot) com. Just remember to turn the (dot)'s into periods/dots. 


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